Research Opportunities

Resident Research Opportunities

The faculty of the University of Oklahoma (OU) Department of Ophthalmology and the Dean McGee Eye Institute (DMEI) firmly believe that research experience is essential for developing an appreciation of medical literature and scientific methods. To this end, residents within our program are given time to undertake their own research initiatives.

The overall goal of the residency research initiative is for each resident to produce at least one original research project suitable for publication or extramural presentation during the course of their residency training.

To help residents achieve this goal, every year each resident prepares a research presentation to be presented at the annual Resident and Alumni meeting in June. Faculty members vote on the presentations made and honor the winning resident with the Dr. and Mrs. T.E. Acers Resident Honor Award that is presented at the Acers Reception, which precedes the graduation dinner.

Residents are encouraged to work in conjunction with clinical and/or research faculty in the development and implementation of the resident’s research project. Depending on the nature of the research proposed, DMEI’s Clinical Trials department may also need to be involved and can provide guidance on the structure of the research, especially if the research will involve human subjects.

In addition to providing time to undertake research, there are funding opportunities available through DMEI that can be used to underwrite the cost of the research or to help with related expenses such as travel to present findings. Funding proposals are submitted to a faculty panel in charge of overseeing the distribution of funds from an endowment established with a gift from the Dorothy Eaton Estate. This support is in addition to other funded activities available through the residency program.

Click here to learn more about the nationally ranked vision research program of the University of Oklahoma Department of Ophthalmology and to familiarize yourself with research conducted here.